Where to Find & Catch Groudon in Pokémon SoulSilver: A Complete Guide

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Plus, how to get Kyogre and Rayquaza

Co-authored by Devin McSween Reviewed by Ishrak

Last Updated: June 13, 2025 References

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Finding Groudon

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Catching Groudon

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Catching Kyogre

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Catching Rayquaza

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Video

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Q&A

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Tips

You can capture lots of different legendary pokémon in Pokémon SoulSilver, with Groudon being one of them. It takes a few steps to get this Ground-type legendary, but don’t worry—we’ll walk you through them. In this article, we’ll explain where to find Groudon and how to capture it with tips from Pokémon expert Ethan Dobbs. If you’re interested in catching the other 2 super-ancient legendary pokémon, Kyogre and Rayquaza , we’ll explain how to get them in SoulSilver, too. Keep reading to learn more!

How to Get Groudon in SoulSilver

Visit Prof. Oak after beating Red and talk to Mr. Pokémon to get the Red Orb. Go to Route 47 near Cianwood City, enter Cliff Cave, and go down the ladder. Surf all the way left and use Rock Climb on the mountain. Enter the Embedded Tower where Groudon awaits. Lower its HP and use Dusk or Ultra Balls to catch it.

Section 1 of 4:

Finding Groudon

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1
Beat the Elite Four and Lance, then go to the Kanto region. Pokémon SoulSilver doesn’t end when you beat all the gym leaders and Elite Four in Johto! Once you enter the Hall of Fame, Professor Elm gives you a ticket to the S.S. Aqua in Olivine City, which takes you to Kanto. ^{[1]
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- Before you can board the S.S. Aqua for the first time, Professor Oak greets you and gives you the National Pokédex, which you need for capturing the new pokémon in Kanto.
Travel around Kanto to defeat all 8 gym leaders in the region. Then, visit Professor Oak in Pallet Town. He’ll allow you to access Mt. Silver and give you Rock Climb (HM 08), which you need for traversing the mountain. ^{[2]
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Go to Mount Silver and battle Red . Head to Mt. Silver, which is off of Route 28 in Kanto. Enter Mt. Silver Cave and navigate up the mountain to the summit, where you find Red ready to battle. Red has a full party of pokémon over level 80, so be prepared for a tough fight. ^{[3]
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- Make sure you have a pokémon that knows Rock Climb, as you need it to get to Red.
- Note : You can also catch Moltres in the Mt. Silver Cave—it’s deeper in the cave, rather than at the top!
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Talk to Professor Oak after defeating Red. Visit Professor Oak in Pallet Town. He’ll be impressed that you beat Red and, as a gift, allow you to choose one of the Kanto starters: Bulbasaur, Charmander, or Squirtle. ^{[4]
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Go to Route 30 in Johto and head inside Mr. Pokémon's house. He’ll notice that you’ve received a Kanto starter from Professor Oak and give you the Red Orb. Then, he’ll encourage you to seek out the mystery of the ancient ruins near Cianwood City, called the Embedded Tower. ^{[5]
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Go to Cianwood City and find the Cliff Cave off Route 47. Once in Cianwood City, enter the Cliff Edge Gate that connects to Route 47. On Route 47, head inside the cave before the bridge—this is Cliff Cave. Then, climb down the ladder. ^{[6]
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- Make sure you have pokémon with you that know Rock Climb and Surf, as you need both of these to access the Embedded Tower where Groudon awaits.
Use Surf on the water once you exit the bottom floor of Cliff Cave. Surf all the way left, through the rocks, until you see a patch of land and a cliff with Rock Climb. Use Rock Climb to climb the mountain until you see a Hiker standing before a cave entrance—this is the entrance to the Embedded Tower! ^{[7]
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Enter the Embedded Tower. In the center of the room, you’ll see Groudon waiting. ^{[8]
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Save the game before you interact with Groudon. Saving before you battle Groudon allows you to switch off the game and reset the encounter just in case you accidentally defeat it, run from the battle, or get beaten yourself. Use this as an opportunity to check on your pokémon and ensure they're in shape for the battle, too.
- Saving is a great strategy if you’re hunting for a shiny Groudon, too. Simply switch off the game and restart it until the Groudon appears shiny. This can take several hundred to thousands of attempts, as Dobbs says the chances of encountering a shiny pokémon are 1 out of 8,000.
- If you do accidentally defeat or run from Groudon, it will reappear once you enter the Hall of Fame again. ^{[9]
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Section 2 of 4:

Catching Groudon

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1
Have a team of pokémon at or above level 50. Groudon is at level 50 when you battle him, so make sure your pokémon are at a similar level or higher. ^{[10]
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- Groudon knows the moves Rest (fully restores its HP), Earthquake (Ground-type attack), AncientPower (Rock-type attack), and Eruption (Fire-type attack).
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Have a Pokémon that knows a Sleep or Paralysis move. Status moves that induce Sleep or Paralysis can stall Groudon and make it easier to lower its HP without receiving damage. Dobbs also explains that status moves make a pokémon easier to catch, which is definitely helpful when trying to capture Groudon.
- Sleep-inducing moves include Seep Powder, Hypnosis, Sing, and Yawn. ^{[12]
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- Paralysis-inducing moves include Thunder Wave, Glare, and Stun Spore. https://www.serebii.net/games/status.shtml#paralysis
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Lower Groudon’s HP and then use a status move. Attack Groudon until its HP is in the red zone. False Swipe is a great move to use because it leaves your opponent with at least 1 HP. Then, use a Sleep or Paralysis status move to stop Groudon from attacking and make it easier to catch.
- False Swipe can be learned by Farfetch'd, Cubone/Marowak, Scyther/Scizor, Zangoose, and Grovyle/Sceptile. ^{[13]
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- False Swipe is also sold as a TM at the Goldenrod Dept. Store. You can teach it to lots of pokémon like Krabby/Kingler, Pinsir, Sneasel, Absol, and many other Pokémon.
4
Throw Dusk Balls or Ultra Balls until you catch Groudon. Dusk Balls have the highest catch rate in the game when used in a cave or at night, with a 3.5x catch rate modifier. ^{[14]
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- Heavy balls are another great option. These poké balls have a higher catch rate the greater a pokémon’s weight. Groudon weighs a whopping 2,094 lbs (950 kg), so a Heavy Ball can greatly increase its capture rate. ^{[16]
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- Dobbs also suggests using a Quick Ball on your very first turn of the battle, as these poké balls have “the highest likelihood of capturing a pokémon on the first turn” (4x catch rate modifier). However, the catch rate modifier goes down to 1x on every turn after.
- Legendary pokémon like Groudon are more difficult to catch than regular pokémon, so it can take a few tries to catch it.

Section 3 of 4:

How to Catch Kyogre

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Trade for a Kyogre from Pokémon HeartGold. Groudon is only available to catch in SoulSilver, while Kyogre is only available to catch in HeartGold. So, to get Kyogre in SoulSilver, you need to trade for it with a friend who has HeartGold. ^{[17]
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- Unfortunately, Nintendo no longer supports Wi-Fi trading for Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver. You have to do a local trade (i.e., be in the same room) with a friend who has HeartGold or SoulSilver.

Section 4 of 4:

How to Catch Rayquaza

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Talk to Professor Oak after obtaining both Groudon and Kyogre. Visit Professor Oak in Pallet Town with both Groudon and Kyogre in your party. He’ll give you the Green Orb, which you need to encounter Rayquaza. ^{[18]
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Go to the Embedded Tower to find Rayquaza waiting. Head back to Cianwood City, travel through the Cliff Cave, and climb up to the Embedded Tower. Now that you have the Jade Orb, Rayquaza will be in the center of the room. ^{[19]
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- Make sure to save the game before battling Rayquaza.
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Lower Rayquaza’s HP and put it to Sleep or Paralyze it. Rayquaza is at level 50 and is a Dragon and Flying-type pokémon, so make sure your pokémon are strong enough to fight it. Dragon, Ice, and Rock-type moves are super effective against it. Once you lower its HP to the red zone, use a Sleep or Paralysis move to stall it and make it easier to catch. ^{[20]
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- Rayquaza knows the moves Rest (fully restores its HP), Air Slash (Flying-type attack), AncientPower (Rock-type attack), and Outrage (Dragon-type attack).
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Use Dusk Balls or Ultra Balls to catch Rayquaza. For the best chances of capturing Rayquaza, use either Dusk Balls or Ultra Balls. Just keep throwing poké balls until you catch it—it can take several tries before you do!

Community Q&A

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He still won't give me the orb. What can I do?

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You also have to defeat Red on the top of Mt. Silver before you can get the orb.

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Why is the game asking me to trade my Red Gyarados?

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It is asking for the Red Scale, an item you obtained in the process of getting the Red Gyarados, not the Gyarados itself.

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Do I have to defeat Red?

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You do have to defeat Red before you get the orb.

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Tips

If the battle seems like it'll never end, use a Timer Ball. Its accuracy increases in proportion to the length of the battle, so they're good for catching legendaries!

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You can always use your Master Ball to capture Groudon, as it has a 100% chance of catching it.

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Tips from our Readers

The advice in this section is based on the lived experiences of wikiHow readers like you. If you have a helpful tip you’d like to share on wikiHow, please submit it in the field below.

If you don't have a sleepingor freezing Pokémon, get a high level Pokemon as a shield. That way, you can throw lots of balls!
Use the TM for Taunt, and teach it to one of your Pokemon. Then, use the move on Groudon so it won't use Rest to heal up!
Use quick balls, and keep soft reseting if you can't catch Groudon.

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Where to Find & Catch Groudon in Pokémon SoulSilver: A Complete Guide

How to Get Groudon in SoulSilver

Steps

Finding Groudon

Catching Groudon

How to Catch Kyogre

How to Catch Rayquaza

Community Q&A

Video

Tips

Tips from our Readers

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